Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson, the founding MC5 drummer and the last surviving original member of the pioneering proto-punk group, died Wednesday, The Detroit Free Press reported. He was 75.
An exact cause of death was not given, though Thompson had reportedly suffered a series of medical issues in recent months, including a heart attack in April.
Thompson’s death comes just a few months after the February death of his MC5 bandmate, guitarist Wayne Kramer, and the April death of John Sinclair, the group’s manager. A few months after Sinclair’s death,...
An exact cause of death was not given, though Thompson had reportedly suffered a series of medical issues in recent months, including a heart attack in April.
Thompson’s death comes just a few months after the February death of his MC5 bandmate, guitarist Wayne Kramer, and the April death of John Sinclair, the group’s manager. A few months after Sinclair’s death,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham stood apart from his peers with a bag of tricks that made his sound impossible to copy. Yet he was like many other classic rock drummers in one way — he rarely received songwriting credits with his band. Still, Bonham wrote several Led Zeppelin songs, including one without any assistance at all.
John Bonham received writing credits for Led Zeppelin songs and revamped blues tunes
One of the traits that set Led Zeppelin apart from their contemporaries was the amount of democracy in the band. Founder Jimmy Page and ace multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones came to the band with songwriting chops, but in time Bonham and singer Robert Plant became key contributors to all of Led Zeppelin’s songs.
Many of Zep’s early tunes were reworkings of blues standards. Page said he divided songwriting credits evenly in those cases.
Bonham’s favorite drinking song inspired...
John Bonham received writing credits for Led Zeppelin songs and revamped blues tunes
One of the traits that set Led Zeppelin apart from their contemporaries was the amount of democracy in the band. Founder Jimmy Page and ace multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones came to the band with songwriting chops, but in time Bonham and singer Robert Plant became key contributors to all of Led Zeppelin’s songs.
Many of Zep’s early tunes were reworkings of blues standards. Page said he divided songwriting credits evenly in those cases.
Bonham’s favorite drinking song inspired...
- 7/31/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
More than half a century after Jimi Hendrix moved to England to form rock’s preeminent transatlantic power trio with a couple of Brits, bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell. Now Billboard reports that a Manhattan federal judge decided Tuesday that England will also be the starting place for a lawsuit that Hendrix’s estate (Experience Hendrix, LLC) and Sony Music filed against Redding’s and Mitchell’s estates last year. The whole idea behind the lawsuit was to stop Redding’s and Mitchell’s heirs from seeking to...
- 5/19/2023
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
The Beatles and Rolling Stones were two of England’s biggest bands in the 1960s, yet they rarely crossed paths professionally. Paul McCartney said the press manufactured the rivalry between the bands, but it wasn’t hard to fabricate animosity as the groups rarely worked together and presented different images in the media (the clean-cut Beatles and grimier Stones). They recorded the same song twice, but outside of that, The Rolling Stones worked with The Beatles just twice.
(top) Paul McCartney (left) of The Beatles and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones; (bottom) John Lennon (center) in ‘The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus | Victor Blackman/Express/Getty Images; Andrew Maclear/Redferns John Lennon and Paul McCartney gave The Rolling Stones 1 of their first hit songs
Once Paul and John Lennon established themselves as ace songwriters, they weren’t above giving their songs to other artists. That includes The Rolling Stones.
(top) Paul McCartney (left) of The Beatles and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones; (bottom) John Lennon (center) in ‘The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus | Victor Blackman/Express/Getty Images; Andrew Maclear/Redferns John Lennon and Paul McCartney gave The Rolling Stones 1 of their first hit songs
Once Paul and John Lennon established themselves as ace songwriters, they weren’t above giving their songs to other artists. That includes The Rolling Stones.
- 3/23/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Never-before-seen footage of Jimi Hendrix performing at the height of his success will premiere in a Showtime documentary.
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church tells the story of the guitarist's largest-ever Us gig in front of 300,000 people at the Atlanta Pop Music Festival in 1970, and includes recently unearthed footage.
Isle of Wight festival plans Jimi Hendrix world record attempt
The gig was captured by The Buddy Holly Story filmmaker Steve Rash, and includes Hendrix playing classics like 'Hey Joe', 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' and 'Purple Haze' against a sky full of fireworks.
The 1970 Atlanta Pop Music Festival took place in July, just four months before the musical virtuoso would die at the age of 27.
Director John McDermott's documentary also includes testimony from pop music legends like Sir Paul McCartney, Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Hendrix's bandmates Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell.
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church premieres on Showtime on Friday,...
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church tells the story of the guitarist's largest-ever Us gig in front of 300,000 people at the Atlanta Pop Music Festival in 1970, and includes recently unearthed footage.
Isle of Wight festival plans Jimi Hendrix world record attempt
The gig was captured by The Buddy Holly Story filmmaker Steve Rash, and includes Hendrix playing classics like 'Hey Joe', 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' and 'Purple Haze' against a sky full of fireworks.
The 1970 Atlanta Pop Music Festival took place in July, just four months before the musical virtuoso would die at the age of 27.
Director John McDermott's documentary also includes testimony from pop music legends like Sir Paul McCartney, Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Hendrix's bandmates Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell.
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church premieres on Showtime on Friday,...
- 8/4/2015
- Digital Spy
Never-before-seen footage of Jimi Hendrix performing at the height of his success will premiere in a Showtime documentary.
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church tells the story of the guitarist's largest-ever Us gig in front of 300,000 people at the Atlanta Pop Music Festival in 1970, and includes recently unearthed footage.
Isle of Wight festival plans Jimi Hendrix world record attempt
The gig was captured by The Buddy Holly Story filmmaker Steve Rash, and includes Hendrix playing classics like 'Hey Joe', 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' and 'Purple Haze' against a sky full of fireworks.
The 1970 Atlanta Pop Music Festival took place in July, just four months before the musical virtuoso would die at the age of 27.
Director John McDermott's documentary also includes testimony from pop music legends like Sir Paul McCartney, Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Hendrix's bandmates Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell.
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church premieres on Showtime on Friday,...
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church tells the story of the guitarist's largest-ever Us gig in front of 300,000 people at the Atlanta Pop Music Festival in 1970, and includes recently unearthed footage.
Isle of Wight festival plans Jimi Hendrix world record attempt
The gig was captured by The Buddy Holly Story filmmaker Steve Rash, and includes Hendrix playing classics like 'Hey Joe', 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' and 'Purple Haze' against a sky full of fireworks.
The 1970 Atlanta Pop Music Festival took place in July, just four months before the musical virtuoso would die at the age of 27.
Director John McDermott's documentary also includes testimony from pop music legends like Sir Paul McCartney, Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Hendrix's bandmates Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell.
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church premieres on Showtime on Friday,...
- 8/4/2015
- Digital Spy
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